


Blood or Glitter

by mickeysbubblebutt (brazenlyunabashedlyshamelessly)



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Fluff, Future Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-21
Updated: 2015-09-21
Packaged: 2018-04-22 17:56:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4844966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brazenlyunabashedlyshamelessly/pseuds/mickeysbubblebutt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mickey reassures Ian.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Blood or Glitter

**Author's Note:**

> I've slacked off updating Boys Like Boys. I suck. But to make up for that, I'm going to share some of the stuff I've been writing this week. 
> 
> BLB will be back on Friday.

The world around Ian was hazy. Everything around him seemed to be happening on fast forward, leaving Ian reacting just a few seconds too slow. Sounds were loud, the light sharp; his head hurt.

These new meds were kicking his ass.

“Ian…  _Ian_.” 

Looking up, he saw Mickey standing just in front of him. Mickey looked worried, though he was trying to hide it. 

“What?” Ian asked after a beat. 

“You want me to make you somethin’ to eat?” Mckey’s voice was patient, giving no indication if this was the first time he’d asked, or the fifth. 

“Not hungry,” Ian muttered. He shifted around on the couch, trying to get comfortable. 

“C’mon, man. You know you can’t take your pills on an empty stomach. Tell you what,” Mickey continued when Ian just stared at him blankly, “I’ll make pancakes, huh? That sound–” 

“Hate the meds,” Ian interrupted quietly. 

“Yeah. Yeah, I know.” 

“They-they make me feel…” His voice trailed off as he tried to think of how to explain the distance he felt between himself and what was going on around him. 

Mickey came to sit beside him, gently taking his hand. In the past, Mickey hadn’t done gentle, hadn’t done patient. Sometimes, when Ian’s head was clear, he wondered if the role of caretaker didn’t chafe.

The last thing Ian wanted was to be a burden. Not to Mickey. 

“Maybe we should just sit here for a little while,” Mickey suggested.

Rather than reply, Ian rested his head on Mickey’s shoulder. He’d stay like this forever if he could.

“I’m sorry,” Ian murmured after a few minutes.

“Hmmm?”

Licking his lips, Ian pulled back so he could meet Mickey’s gaze. He took in Mickey’s features, noting the dark circles under his eyes, and the way his face had gotten thinner.

_Stress_ , Ian realised.

“Hey, c’mon. Talk to me.” Mickey gave him a gentle shake, attempting to be playful.

“My head… It’s fucked. An’ I wish you didn’t have to put up with it.”

“Okay, I need you to listen to me.” For the first time since this conversation had started, Mickey sounded irritable. “I don’t  _put up_  with fuckin’ anything, alright?”

“You can’t tell me this is what you thought things would be like,” Ian whispered. “Bein’ my nurse?”

“That’s… Gallagher, you’re…” Mickey took a deep breath. “You wanna know what I thought my life was gonna be?” He waited until Ian shrugged in answer.”Figured I’d be in prison. Or maybe still livin’ under my dad’s thumb. An’ I’d have gotten through it. Gone through the motions, played it straight, maybe knocked some random chick up, an’ made her miserable.”

“Good thing I came along, huh?” Ian said sarcastically.

“Cut the shit. You make me happy, Ian. Yeah, we hit a rough patch for a while. But we’re together. I love you. That’s more than I ever thought I’d have.”

Ian stared at him in surprise. That was the first time Mickey had said those words out loud since... before.

“Really? You-you love me?” Ian said softly.

An exasperated sigh escaped Mickey, even as a flush crept along his cheeks.

“Course I do,” he huffed. “Now I’m gonna make you some goddamn pancakes, and you’re gonna fuckin’ eat ‘em.”

With that, Mickey got up off the couch to head for the kitchen.

“Hey, Mick?” Ian waited until Mickey had turned back toward him before he spoke again. “I love you, too.”

The smile he got in return warmed Ian, and even though he still wasn’t hungry, he got up to trail behind Mickey.

After all, they were in this together.


End file.
